Members of Parliament (MPs) have awarded themselves a generous retirement package that will see them pocket about Sh13 Million each.
The extra pay became apparent on Wednesday when Leader of the National Assembly passed a motion to adopt the calendar.
Parliament will dissolve on June 15, two months before the General Election but the MPS will get salaries for unpaid work until August 7, a day before the General Election.
"Members will get their salaries and allowances, that is a guarantee I can give this House," Duale said on Wednesday as he moved the motion to adopt the calendar.
This means each MP will pocket a monthly salary of 1.09 Million for the two months that they will be out of work.
Kenyan MPs are remunerated with a basic salary of Sh740,000, monthly airtime of Sh10,000 and a monthly car allowance of Sh356,525. They will, however, not receive sitting allowance during the two-month break.
Apart from the additional salary, legislators will be entitled to a Sh11 Million retirement package, being a gratuity for the work they will have done once their term expires on August 7.
The generous entitlements have been made possible by the new constitution which stipulates that the term of parliament will expire a day before election day, unlike the previous constitution which stipulated that parliament’s term would end 60 days before a General Election.
The new constitution also gives parliament the final say on the budgeting process. Technically, this provision will allow the legislators to authorise their own salaries.
The hefty pay for work not done has been received with anger given that it is coming at a time when operations in public hospitals have been paralysed by a strike that is heading into its third month.
University workers have also kept off from their workstations as part of an industrial action calling for increased pay.
